1 tablespoon of rolled oats weighs 5.6 g. Oats are one of the lightest ingredients per tablespoon, because the flakes are flat and full of air gaps. The tablespoon is a useful unit for oats when you are sprinkling them over a dish, adding them to a smoothie, or making a single bowl of porridge where a cup measure is too coarse.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Old-fashioned rolled oats, steamed and flattened. Oatmeal, cookies, granola and crumble toppings.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Amount | Grams of rolled oats |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 1.9 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 5.6 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 11.1 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 16.7 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) | 22.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 29.7 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) | 44.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) | 66.8 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 89 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A crumble topping for a single serving
A crumble topping for one baked apple uses 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, about 11 g, rubbed with butter, flour and sugar. The topping should be loose and pebbly, and two tablespoons is the right amount for a single apple. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Oats in a morning smoothie
A smoothie uses 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, about 11 g, blended in with banana, milk and honey. The oats thicken the smoothie and add fibre, and they disappear completely when blended. Add them before the liquid, so the blades catch them and grind them fine.
A topping for a bowl of yogurt
A bowl of yogurt is topped with 1 tablespoon of rolled oats, 5.6 g, with a spoonful of honey and a few berries. The oats add crunch and keep you full for longer. Toast the oats first in a dry pan for a minute, because raw oats taste starchy and toasted oats taste nutty.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Grains, seeds and similar dry goods should be spooned into the cup and levelled, without shaking or tapping the cup to settle them, which packs them down and inflates the weight. If the recipe calls for rinsed rice or oats, measure before rinsing: the water they absorb changes their weight, and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. Store grains in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, and check for a stale or rancid smell before using older stock, because whole grains carry oils that go off faster than refined flour.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of rolled oats, count out about 17.9 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 8.9 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 11.1 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 44.5 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. For large amounts, switch to a cup measure or a scale: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh rolled oats instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the rolled oats until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months.
- Toast oats in a dry pan for a nutty flavour.
- Do not tap the spoon when measuring oats.
- Eight tablespoons is half a cup, or one bowl of porridge.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of rolled oats?
One tablespoon of rolled oats weighs 5.6 g, and one teaspoon is about 1.9 g. A cup of rolled oats is 89 g, and a tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup.
Are rolled oats the same as instant oats by the tablespoon?
No. Instant oats are cut finer and pack more densely, at about 6.5 g per tablespoon. Steel-cut oats are much denser, at about 8.8 g per tablespoon. Use the rolled oat figure only for rolled, or old-fashioned, oats.
How many tablespoons of oats do I need for one bowl of porridge?
About 8 tablespoons, which is half a cup or 45 g, per person for a standard bowl. Some people prefer 5 tablespoons for a lighter bowl, and athletes often use a full cup, or 16 tablespoons.
Can I use oats to thicken a soup?
Yes. A tablespoon or two of rolled oats stirred into a soup will thicken it as they cook and soften, and they disappear into the soup. It is a useful trick for a soup that is too thin, and it adds fibre.
Do oats go bad?
They can turn rancid because whole oats contain oils. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and use within six months. If they smell stale or bitter, throw them out.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with grains and seeds is measuring them after rinsing, because the water they absorb changes their weight and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. The second is shaking or tapping the cup to settle the contents, which packs them down and inflates the weight. The third is confusing cooked and uncooked measurements: a cup of dry rice becomes about three cups cooked, and a recipe that means one will not work with the other. The fourth mistake is storing grains in an open bag in a humid kitchen, where they absorb moisture and can develop mould or pantry moths. Finally, do not assume that all grains weigh the same per cup: oats are 89 g, quinoa is 177 g, and rice is 198 g, and swapping them cup for cup will change a recipe significantly.